Because work should be done excellently and work should be "ensouling"

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Soul-Killing

“A lot of work is soul-killing.”

Whenever I share this opinion, I ordinarily get strong agreement from whomever my conversation is with. And this agreement does not seem to vary much regardless of where in this world the person works. It is globally true. It does not seem to matter what position in their company’s organizational chart a person holds, folks in customer service seem to experience the same angst about their work as do executives. Level of income also has little effect; both rich and poor often hate their jobs or, at best, see them as a necessary evil. I have to credit rock band Radiohead for putting words to my own sense that all is not right about the way we do work. Their lyrics from the song “No Surprises” resonate for many people across many different boundaries, “A job that slowly kills you…with no alarms and no surprises.”

Something is terribly wrong. I am not saying that work for many people is simply boring or a necessary evil or unpleasurable. I am arguing that it is soul-killing. I believe that the ancient Greeks used the same word for “aliveness” as they did for “ensouled,” so what I am saying is that work is draining many people of their “aliveness.” How can we stand for a condition that is essentially a terminal illness for our souls? What are we if we are not alive?

What I believe and what I want to strive for is the kind of work that is “redemptive.” And the term “redemptive” applies in both the economic and theological sense of the word. I have a vision for workplaces that buy back the meaning in life that drains from us nearly every single day. Workplaces can be communities that ensoul us.

My hope for this blog is to talk about the experience of work. And more precisely, what it takes to create work and workplaces where we will all become more alive.

10 comments:

This so resonates with me, Kurt. I have been a stay-at-home mom now for 5.5 years, but prior was in marketing for the Bank. It was often glamorous, allowed me to travel to places I might otherwise have not, continued to increase my financial reward and, at the end, I was almost begging to leave. What I always used to say to Brian was that my life was being sucked away. Yet, I look back now to the great friends I still have from that era, fun times I had and valuable life and business knowledge I acquired. Some of the issue was the work. A LOT of marketing is superficial junk and if you have come to a place in life where what you produce needs to matter, marketing needs to be for something you really believe in. Checking accounts don't matter that much to me. Work culture matters to... the focus on money was at the forefront of what I did and of what those around me did. It was tough to stay out of the culture of materialism that exists in that. So for me...the "product," the people and the company culture matter. Lastly, there is the whole idea of work ethic and attitude...my own and those around me. Strength in those areas can overcome negatives in others. I honestly think a lot of us stay in places that are less than what we want for work because we are hamsters on the wheel and getting off seems tiring and unimaginable. Money and comfort are great carrots.

This makes me think of the Holstee Manifesto which rings so true, but I personally need to take more to heart. The bottom line is it's all about our own choices and attitudes. "This is your life. Do what you love, and do it often. If you don’t like something, change it. If you don’t like your job, quit. If you don't have enough time, stop watching TV. If you are looking for the love of your life, stop; they will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love. Stop over-analyzing, life is simple. All emotions are beautiful. When you eat, appreciate every last bite. Travel often; getting lost will help you find yourself. Some opportunities only come once: seize them. Open your mind, arms, and heart to new things and people. We are united in our differences. Ask the next person you see what their passion is, and share your inspiring passion with them. Life is about the people you meet, and the things you create with them, so go out and start creating. Life is short. Live your dream, and share your passion."

Kurt, awesome post! I am excited to see where this blog takes you and your readers. I am particularly interested in the process or journey of taking something that is soul-killing and making it into something that is redemptive. I often dream of starting something new to "do it right" or start it off without it being soul-killing from the start. However, that's not where I'm at, nor is it that simple. So, what does the transformation within work look like? Instead of Good to Great, what does soul-killing to redemption look like in the workplace?

Kurt, interesting post! I believe you first and foremost work for God. I try to seek his will and I have faith he has me in the right place of work so for me it is rewarding. He will use me how he see's fit and with that it is anything but soul-killing!

A few random thoughts from an old warhorse on some root issues that drift by: It seems that when an organization is defined by individual relationships and the stories of our experiences together we have a chance to merge activity with a fulfilling purpose. That's when place is synonymous with community, when the product or service we produce is but a byproduct of our common health and success. It only has a chance to be that when those who define its purpose are the advocates of it, when individuals seek and receive grace, when the well being of those with the least power are served and represented, when relational leadership is counted as a strength instead of weakness, when our own identity is not aligned with the organizational mythology, but with God's purpose for us. Unfortunately, over time most organizations tend to transform into institutions vs. communities, whose goals are not relational, but bureaucratic, not long term focused, but increasingly short term. Then as participants we can all begin to value and promote 'doing' over 'being'. I have been guilty of this more than a few times. Companies are in business to make money. This is as it should be in a free market. The question is why do we individually or corporately want to make money. Purpose not assumed, but examined is valuable. Recognizing and resisting creeping institutionalization and our role in it for the cause of community and healthy work is a difficult, but worthy goal I think. The good news is I have seen both very large and very small organizations celebrate and live out sustainable relational leadership to the profit of all. Good community is both good business and good purpose, the proverbial win-win, breathing life, not sucking it. Why do we still see it darkly?

Can't wait to read upcoming posts! Currently I am blessed to do what I love on my own schedule, but this summer I confronted the somewhat related issues of my children's education... in reading books like Daniel Pink's Drive and Gladwell's Outliers and listening to Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity? it seems the soul-killing starts early.

My first thought was going back to Genesis and the result of the fall when Adam and Eve disobeyed God. The consequence on Adam was: the ground will be cursed, that toil is required all your life, fields are infested with thorns and thistles, and sweat will be required.

I see this being metaphorical of our struggle with work.

That is not to say that work cannot be redemptive, but the natural state of work is overcoming obstacles - sweat, things going wrong, thorns, etc. And apart from God's intervention and blessing we will be in a constant state of struggle.